February 21, 2007

It is a regular part of my process to write a full novel draft, print it to read once, and then I throw it away and delete the file. Really. It’s my way of just getting to know the characters and their world. If I were to build on those first, fumbling efforts, my stories would have pretty shaky foundations. I’m not saying this is for everyone. Some folks can fully envision their work right out of the chute. But me, I figure whatever survives when I open the new document deserves a fair shot. Whatever doesn’t . . . doesn’t..

This just makes my head hurt to even think about. Sometimes words flow easily but usually not. I can’t even grasp the concept of throwing it all out unless it’s something you do when you’re pissed off, or depressed.